Wine Tasting
by Merida Hughsie
Summary: After their Christmas festivities, Elsie does some studying of a particular song. This song gives her inspiration, but her husband, her stout and stoic butler gives her the confidence she needs to overcome her shyness. Nsfw


**A./N.: Some more steaminess for our favourite couple. I hope you enjoy this scene. It is a continuation of my story 'Tonight', but can also stand alone so now worries if you haven't read it before. Enjoy and pretty please drop me a line. **

_Wine Tasting_

Elsie Hughes Carson was leaning against her kitchen table with 6'2'' of former butler standing over her with raised eyebrows and a very wry look on his face. He was currently trying to figure out which of his treasured wines would go best with the dinner Elsie was preparing. She was feeling rather ambitious today and had decided to try one of Mrs Patmore's recipes. Her intended meal consisted of ratatouille and a steak each with freshly-baked bread on the side. Charles leaning over her and slightly into her was highly distracting.

Ever since the Christmas night when she had been bold enough to open herself to the pleasure created by Charles and his tender ministrations, Elsie had steadily become more adventurous in their love-making. She blushed prettily, thankful that Charles was facing away from her at the moment, as she also remembered her secret studies. Charles would be appalled if he ever found out. Elsie had gone into the little guest room in the cottage, where some odds and ends had accumulated after their retirement. They were mostly small remembrances, which had been collected and treasured over a life-time in service, but were now trivial in the face of their new togetherness. The little box Charles had kept in his desk in his office at the Abbey had found her new home in the desk of the guest room. Elsie had waited until Charles was in a committee meeting then snuck upstairs and looked through the box' contents. Finally she had triumphed in finding some loose music sheets with songs from his past. One of them had been the French song he had sung in the Servants' Hall. To her relief Charles had already written a loose translation in the margins on both sides of the paper, making it immensely easier to understand what it was about. Soon she had found the part that had so fascinated her dear husband and she had blushed fiercely at the recollection of that night. Clutching the sheet of paper to her chest, she had secreted it away into the drawer of her bedside table.

Over the last few weeks she had read through it numerous times and had been as fascinated with the possibilities described as her husband must have felt like upon first hearing it. This song had given her quite a few ideas, but she was still shy sometimes to even initiate their more intimate encounters. His close proximity, though, set her body tingling in the most pleasurable ways, especially lately.

Charles clicked his tongue in satisfaction and produced a bottle of Merlot with a flourish. "Ah, I knew I had the perfect wine to compliment your perfect dinner, my lass," he boomed triumphantly, a soppy grin on his face as he proudly beamed at his wife.

Elsie chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm not so sure about that, mo chéile, but I appreciate your praise," she said humbly, blushing a little before hastily rising up on her toes and pressing a kiss to his cheek, causing his soppy grin to become even wider. "Now that all is set, maybe we can start dinner preparations without preamble?"

Charles laughed lightly and bowed, drawing out Elsie's chair for her, then turned towards the counter and opened the bottle. He sniffed it experimentally, apparently deemed it appropriate and began to decant it.

Elsie observed him as he worked while she cut the vegetables. She could only shake her head at his antics. One could almost get the impression that wine decanting was an art form. "I never understood much of what you told me about this wine and that," she admitted, smiling mischievously behind his back. "You could always talk hours on end about vintages, vineyards and bouquets, but I have to admit I usually drowned in your voice." A light blush crept once more into her cheeks.

Charles smiled at her admission and couldn't find it in him to chastise her. He actually took pride in the ability to make her swoon through his voice alone. He let the wine be wine for the moment and came up behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and stopping her motions. "The most important lesson is: A good wine is like a good woman," he rumbled seductively into her ear, "both only get better with age."

Elsie nearly swooned off the chair if it hadn't been for Charles' arms wrapped around her. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath to steady her equilibrium. It was no use in the face of her husband now happily kissing a path from her ear down her neck. She moaned lightly as she felt her blood quicken and turned her head to allow him better access. Her breathing sped up as one of his large hands began to trace a line from her hip up to the underside of her breast and back down again. She had quiet forgotten about dinner.

"What else is there to know about wine?" she asked huskily, her lovely lilt more pronounced.

"Mhm", Charles breathed into her skin, "there is a specific way to taste it."

Elsie turned on her chair and slowly got up, facing Charles. His eyes were dark and she had the feeling that they matched hers in intensity and intent. She wrapped her arms around Charles' neck and drew him down to her level. Their lips were almost touching when she asked, "Show me?"

Her husband growled, drawing her impossibly closer and kissing her deeply on her lips. His mouth slanted over hers perfectly, nibbling and teasing her bottom lip until she opened her mouth eagerly for him. Then his tongue slipped in and caressed the row of her teeth before nudging her own tongue to engage in a sensual dance together. Elsie clung to him, sure she would slide down into a melted puddle if he let go of her.

"You're a little minx," he growled when he finally drew back, breathless and very much aroused.

Elsie giggled, something she hadn't done since being a little girl, before side-stepping around him and sashaying over to the counter. She took extra care in stretching enticingly to reach the wine glasses on the high shelf, then pouring them each a glass. She had observed Charles through the years and knew exactly how much to pour, as if she was preparing a drink for the nobility. Sauntering back to Charles, she held out his glass for him, daring him to educate her. He saluted her smartly and swirled the wine in his glass counter clock-wise. He sniffed it again before bringing the glass to his lips and took a small sip. It seemed as if he was holding the liquid in his mouth swirling it around with his tongue.

Elsie was mesmerized by his lips, a little more red through the wine and the hidden movement of his tongue, reminding her vividly of the kiss they had shared before and imagining all sorts of other things he could do with this talent. Without volition, Elsie was drawn to her husband. A hand reached out and lightly touched his chest, smoothing out the minimal wrinkles on his shirt as she caressed him through the cotton. Charles closed his eyes involuntarily and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. A drop of the wine escaped his lips and ran down his chin. Elsie instantly rose up on her toes and kissed the drop away before it could stain his pristine shirt, steadying herself with her hand on his lapel.

An idea from that song came to mind and she let go of his shirt, moving her hands down to his waist. She undid his belt and flung it from the belt loops in a rather haphazard manner. Charles frowned down on her.

"Elsie, what are you doing?" he asked, still worried that she might feel pressured in any way during love making.

She stopped for a moment, looking up at him. "Wouldn't you like to know…" she teased, grasping the waistband of his pants with both her hands.

Charles remained still, watching her. Elsie slowly lowered herself down to her knees as she slid his trousers down his legs. She grinned up at him mischievously. Her hand slid behind his right knee, gently bending it as she freed him from his shoe, sock, pants leg and briefs. She then repeated the procedure on his left, finally tossing the pants aside.

Charles didn't know what to expect from his wife. She remained on her knees, pushing herself back against her calves and heels to look up at her husband. She reached her hands out to run along the outsides of his legs. Slowly she trailed her fingertips along his skin. Her touch was soft and Charles could feel himself growing hard at just the sight of his wife kneeling before him. She was such a beautiful and amazing woman that sometimes he couldn't imagine how he had ever won her heart. He reached out to caress her cheek and she ceased her movements, closing her eyes for a moment, enjoying his caresses.

Then she resumed her own caresses, lifting her hands to release the buttons of his shirt and opening it wide. She glanced up at him, taking his erection in her hand. Wrapping her fingers around it, she squeezed gently as Charles inhaled sharply.

Reaching to the table to retrieve her glass and tipping it, Elsie let a few drops trickle down the slightly protruding stomach of her husband before once more leaning up and kissing them away, lightly sucking on his skin and licking him clean. Charles' groans were music to her ears and she felt powerful all of a sudden. This song had given her inspiration, but her husband, her stout and stoic butler was giving her confidence. Boldly she tipped her glass again and let the drop of wine slide further down her husband's body. She finally kissed it away just before it reached the thatch of hair above his member standing fully at attention.

Looking up at Charles' blissful face, full of wonder she could see the question in his eyes and the uncertainty if he was pressuring her into something she was uncomfortable with. She smiled up at him brilliantly before provocatively tilting her glass over his erection, her eyes never leaving his. He groaned loudly as Elsie slowly licked the liquid drop from the base of his shaft up to the top, only the tip of her pretty pink tongue visible to Charles.

Tilting her glass one last time before placing it blindly on the table, she opened her mouth, running her tongue along the tip of him before slowly sucking it. It encouraged her further to hear him moan her name as she ran her fingernails along his shaft. She glanced up at him and their eyes locked. Charles didn't know how to react to what she was doing to him. He grasped the back of her head, taking a fistful of her hair as she continued to please him. She had never taken him this way. He tried to control himself as he watched his wife. She was really quite good at this. He could feel himself grow harder each time that she looked up at him as she continued to tease him with her mouth.

He didn't have to warn her that he was getting close to his peak. Elsie could tell from the way that he tensed up. She ran her tongue along his shaft one last time before pulling away. Charles looked down at her, incredulous.

"Not yet, Mr. Carson", she teased, pushing herself off her knees. "You wouldn't want to accuse me of calling you a selfish husband again, do you?"

He groaned deeply as he reached out his hand to help her stand up. Elsie licked her bottom lip, almost worrying it as she was known to do, as she placed her hands on his chest once more. He was only dressed in his shirt while she was still completely clothed.

At her teasing tone Charles grabbed her, crushing his lips against hers. His only answer was as he began to unbutton her dress and tossing it on the floor, quickly followed by her corset and undergarments. Tonight there would be no time for reverent unveiling or tender loving. He was holding on to his control by a thread or he would take or on this very table. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her into their bedroom. She didn't even notice they'd moved until he was gently placing her on the bed.

He began to kiss her neck and down her chest. She softly moaned his name, her cheek pressed against the top of his head. She reached out to run her hands through his hair as he kissed her stomach. Suddenly he was kissing her lips again and his right arm slid beneath her body. His member was teasing her softly and she opened her legs wider to let him in. It was slow and he could hear her breath catch as he entered her. She took a few quick breaths and laid her head back against the pillow. She clutched the sheet in her fist as he moved slowly against her, listening to her moans. He whispered her name into her ear, causing her body to quiver against him and slid his strong hand between her legs as she groaned deeply, feeling his fingers pressing into her. She became louder and louder as he moved against her. The sound of her voice turned him on, making him want her even more. He kissed her neck, her shoulder, down to the valley between her breasts

"You're beautiful," he whispered, remembering the other night when she had taken him between her breasts. She certainly managed to surprise him time and again.

She smiled slightly as she looked up at him through her intoxication. Her smile only lasted a moment, though, before he thrust into her harder. Her head rolled back and she couldn't contain the sound that escaped her lips. His hands grabbed her hips, pulling her closer to him. Normally she would close her eyes and let the sensation of him moving inside of her take over her senses, but this time she couldn't stop watching him. It wasn't until he pushed her legs wider apart and thrust deeper into her that she let out his name in a loud groan and her eyes slid shut. Her breathing became shorter as every time he thrust into her she could feel her breath catch in the back of her throat.

"Charles, please," her voice quivered ever so slightly.

He knew she was reaching her climax and he could feel himself about ready to let go. He slowed the pace to prolong it for both of them, moving gently against her as he bent down to kiss her lips. She slipped her arms around him, pressing him against her body. He kept whispering how beautiful she was in her ear as a final sensation overtook her body.

She lay motionless beneath him, the only movement coming from her chest as she tried to catch her breath. He remained on top of her for a moment, catching his own breath and finally extricated himself from her and slid over next to her. Elsie turned on her side and faced her husband.

"I love you, my man," she whispered, her voice hoarse from their earlier activities.

"I love you, too, my lass," he answered her in kind.

Smiling Elsie scooted closer to him, her legs still quivering and her flesh hyper-sensitive, snuggling into his side as she lay her head on his chest. "I must say, I will appreciate wine more from now on."

Charles couldn't help himself as he roared with laughter at Elsie's cheek; he had always loved his wife's quick wit and he relished in the knowledge that she was finally letting go of her Calvinist upbringing and becoming more comfortable in their physical relationship. It was high time he thought of something he could do for her in return.


End file.
